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Saving money on groceries can be as simple as making something from scratch instead of buying it already prepared. Small changes can really add up. For example – did you know that by making your own spaghetti sauce you can save $1.50 per jar of the store bought variety? If you serve pasta once per … Continue reading →

These are some of my “go-to” recipes when money gets tight – no ramen noodles required (although I do like ramen….)! They all taste amazing and are under $1.42 per serving. The lentil/sausage recipe is the lowest at $.30 per serving – you can’t beat that! Chicken (or turkey) Pot Pie Sunday Pasta … Continue reading →

I was recently asked why I don’t buy paper towels. My friends think it’s strange – so I thought I’d write about it! I stopped purchasing paper towels 3 years ago, not on purpose – but because I only had so much money in my grocery budget. Something on the list had to go! … Continue reading →

My grandmother was an amazing cook. The best things she made, however, were perhaps the simplest. Having grown up during the depression, she knew how to make a meal out of next to nothing and still have it taste incredible. This is one of her staples, she made it all the time. It’s a simple, … Continue reading →

I ended my self-imposed “Cooking From Scratch Experiment” this weekend…and what an experience! It was so much fun thinking “outside the box” in terms of food for my family. I am a firm believer in eating real food – not processed and full of chemicals, additives and preservatives. I also think it’s very important to teach my … Continue reading →

Have you ever opened up your refrigerator and found a little bit of this and a little bit of that? Not enough for a meal, but too much to justify throwing it out? That happened to me last night – my husband and I were in the mood for a little snack. I opened … Continue reading →

Another tool for keeping the grocery budget down is a price book. This is a list of the items bought in bulk, how much they cost and the per unit cost. This is helpful for determining how much money is spent on any particular item. It’s also very useful when it comes to sales and specials at the supermarket – You … Continue reading →

There are many benefits to keeping a stocked pantry. One of them is that you know exactly what you have on hand – no more accidental duplicates! I keep a list of everything I have in the cupboards, refrigerator and freezer. This way I know what I have, what I need and what needs used up before it goes … Continue reading →

This is a twist on a recipe I found in the Gourmet Cookbook – Lentils and Curried Rice with Fried Onions. It’s delicious – I highly recommend you try it out! Today, however, seemed like the perfect day to experiment with it. I have been craving lentils with sweet potatoes for quite some time. I decided to add … Continue reading →

Some things I’m working on for next week… Basic Pantry List – A listing of items to keep on hand for basic “from-scratch” cooking. Cost Per Serving List – A list of pantry items and their per-serving cost. Recap of Cooking From Scratch Experiment – A rundown of all the things I learned, what I did right, … Continue reading →